Spiffy:

Iffy:

Licensed parts instead of licensed vehicles; only one save per profile, so playing online is playing for keeps.

For years now, my import tuner racing fix has been satisfied by the Need for Speed series, but Carbon somehow managed to leave me with a profound sense of "blah." I can't quite put my finger on what was missing (other than car chases and excitement), but I just wasn't as into it as I had been in the past. At first, I thought maybe my interest in tuner racing was waning (perish the thought!). But then I saw Juiced 2 at THQ's editor's day event last Thursday.

Somehow I totally missed the first Juiced, so this sequel came as quite a surprise. Capturing all of the glitzy after-market bolt-ons and amphetamine-tempoed techno you could possibly desire in a flashy sport racer, Juiced 2 looks pretty snazzy. There are a few new additions to the genre (most appealing to me is the pre-race wagering), but for the most part it looks like THQ has focused on getting the core mechanics as solid as possible.

Pedal to the Carbon Fiber

Following in the footsteps of Test Drive: Unlimited, Juiced 2 offers the ability to customize a little digital you (although it's not nearly as deep as in Unlimited). Even among the other computer-controlled racers, you'll notice that there is a specific driver for each car. THQ wants you to become familiar with the other goons trying to bounce you off the track.

Who cares about character customization, though? This type of game is all about car customization, and that is one place where it looks like Juiced 2 might just own all. Just about everything on your car is customizable, including the seats and doors. Boasting 600 different body kits from some 300 different after-market parts manufacturers (with 190 different styles of wheels alone!), Juiced 2 will even let you customize your license plate (and you know mine will be rockin' the "GabeSpy"). Like applying decals to your ride? You'd better, because Juiced 2 allows you to work on 50 layers of decals and each can be transformed (twisted, tilted, scaled or tinted) to provide the ultimate in unique-itude. Trade out your stock seats for professional grade racing harnesses or just beautify your whip with some fly Lamborghini doors (y'know, the ones that open by swinging upwards?).

As titillating as all of the cosmetic adjustments to your ride may be, the real meat of tuner culture resides in beefing up the unseen inner workings of the vehicles, and that's where Juiced 2 seems hell-bent on getting things right. When you enter the garage to modify your car's internal mechanics, you get an X-ray view of the underlying machinery. Each part you wish to add appears highlighted in brilliant neon in the position it would take among the rest of your souped-up components. All of the usual suspects are available for modification, like power, handling and braking, and each of these aspects can receive a boost after unlocking upgrades by completing challenges.